The present invention relates to a transmultiplexer and more particularly to a virtual group distribution frame.
A transmultiplexer is a telecommunications product used in telephone systems for translating any kind of information (e.g., voice and/or data information) between frequency division multiplexed (FDM) and time division multiplexed (TDM) formats. Transmultipexing systems are needed in providing a suitable interface between a analog environment on the one hand and a purely digital environment on the other.
Transmultiplexing systems provide the desired interface between digital time division multiplexed systems and analog frequency division multiplexed systems. Such systems are described, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,131,766 and 4,237,551, which are commonly assigned to the same assignee as the present invention, the details of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
In a large telephone system environment (such as American Telephone and Telegraph network), two problems can occur with the use of a transmultiplexing system. The first problem is group administration of the network. Current operating procedures in a toll network dictate that the network is to be managed on a group level basis. Typically, a toll office is equipped with a DSX, a group transmultiplexer, a group distribution frame and group bank equipment. Diversity is accomplished by rerouting digroups and groups at the respective DSX and group distribution frame.
In order to provide for group cross-connects to be established, the required length of time for presently existing systems to physically establish group level analog/digital cross-connects is in terms of hours.
The second problem is that electronic data processing (EDP) systems have difficulty in coping with existing supergroup transmultiplexer arrangements. This is because a supergroup transmultiplexer interfaces with five T-1 digroup facilities and two supergroup facilities. Since groups are eliminated, management of the network on a group level is lost. Traditionally, the facility planning and scheduling systems require a hierarchy of equipment by which to slot groups. A group s connected into a group distribution frame, and then a connection is established into a group bank.
The problem with the foregoing is that groups are effectively eliminated and group EDP systems cannot cope with the loss of group management.